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Sunday Sunday SUNDAY!

Okay, AWESOME massage yesterday at TuSuva. The neighborhood seemed just the slightest bit dicey at first, but once I walked in, HEAVEN! The office is SO nice, great music, peaceful, beautiful decor, dark candle lit massage rooms. 90 minutes of bliss, really. So much pain was alleviated. Yana is a miracle worker.

Update: I’ve done it!! I’ve finished unpacking!! Okay, that’s a lie. What I’ve actually done is put everything away possible, and now my 2 closets are STUFFED to capacity with clothing that needs to be folded or hung, and I need more hangers and closet organizers. A few drawers and shoe rack mainly. I suppose it’s off to Target AGAIN today.

It’s nearing transition time on the east coast, so I don’t want to unpack all my winter wears and now all my spring/summer clothing has to be unpacked, washed, ironed, what have you. It’s a nightmarish task really.

Now I'm off to drown my denial in an unlimited champagne brunch at Ardeo in my new neighborhood. Maybe I'll get lucky and meet another Molly... impossible :-(

The new place unveiled! Yes, I know I still have work to do.

Blossoming

Well, the 3,750 cherry blossom trees that line the Tidal Basin and surrounding national parks in Washington, D.C., survived winter blizzards and will again bloom during end of March/first of April!

I'm really happy for this because I've been looking forward to it since I moved.

The first trees were a gift to the city in 1912 from Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki.

More than a million people each year attend the festival, which includes a parade, a fundraising gala, exhibits across the city on Japanese ceramics and garments and paddle boat rides around the Tidal Basin.

What I'm struggling with is missing the Cherry Blossom Parade on April 10th. :-( That's TARTAN DAY!! I'm meeting Mary in NYC and going to Stout as I have every year since moving to the east coast. (No comment on J&J!).

Oh well, I'm definitely planning on visiting a few 2010 National Cherry Blossom Festival® Cherry Picks Restaurants, where different restaurants offer "cherry-inspired recipes throughout the signature springtime event. During the two-week festival, diners can enjoy a variety of alluring entrées, decadent desserts and delectable cocktails with a special cherry touch at participating restaurants."

Delish!!

Update to Andreen: It's a work in progress, right? (Happiness, I mean). Always, in a moment, easily stolen away. I'm consciously trying to be more fluid and trying not to take for granted what I have, even though it's not, at this very moment, what I originally dreamed of. There could be monumental positive occasions and opportunities just around the corner.

For now I'm thankful, SO thankful, for the job, apartment, and friends who are really here for me, even at a distance.

Besos.

Happy Saturday!

It's the end of my first week of a shortened commute and the beginning of my first weekend living in DC. My first 4 nights were tough. Chhaya meowed up a STORM and I didn't get more than 3 hours of sleep at a time.

I've gotten a lot more unpacked than I figured I would, but I need to get a bunch of hangers and a few underbed boxes to get all of these clothes unpacked. This is going to be a weekend of just taking care of myself and relaxing.

Still REALLY liking my job and the people there. Every day I feel like I'm really contributing to the success of the business. The company is SOOOOO interesting and I really dig what we do. I'm still struggling, however, with not being in New York. My mantra has always been "things happen how they are supposed to happen" and "everything happens for a reason". I am staying true to these and trying to make every day a positive experience.

Today I'm off to a nice 25 minute walk to get a mani/pedi and then a massage, which I truly need. This evening I want to dive head first into the unpacking to get it all finished so I can get busy on other things. I worked out this morning downstairs in my gym, so at least I'm off to a good start!

Tomorrow I plan on visiting the National Zoo. I going to see the big cats and the great apes, my favorites :-). If I'm finished in time, I might try and catch Shutter Island at the theater by my apt.

By the way, here are a few pix of my building.

Baby, One More Time!

So I'm sitting here at my kitchen table surrounded by boxes YET AGAIN. I'm glad I didn't fully unpack when I got here. I've managed to shovel a path through the pile of snow we received during the "SNOWPOCALYPSE" that should enable me to move next weekend.

Should I start from the beginning, or should I say the end? I got a job offer the week before my birthday, when my parents were here visiting, but as all my wonderful readers know, the rug's been pulled out from under me more than a few times in the past year. I decided to just keep quiet and see what happened before I let you all peek in my window.

It's been 1 month now, and I LOVE my job. The people are fantastic and my company is REALLY interesting. One temporary problem, I have a 2 hour commute EACH WAY right now. 1 taxi, 1 bus, 2 trains. EACH WAY. But things are once again looking up. I got an apartment on Friday and I move in next Saturday. I have a pool, fitness center, 24 hour concierge, I live in a SUPER cute neighborhood in DC and I'm going to try and enjoy it. That will cut my commute down to about 25-30 mins door to door.

One thing to look forward to after the move:

The National Cherry Blossom Festival
March 27th-April 10th

From the website: "The NCBF is an annual two-week event that celebrates springtime in Washington, DC as well as the 1912 gift of the cherry blossom trees and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan."

Reality

Depression from Job Loss Is Long Lasting

Excerpt By Charnicia E. Huggins, Reuter's Health

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - While it may not be surprising that job loss and the resulting financial strain can lead to depression, new study findings show that this and other negative consequences of unemployment can last for up to 2 years, even after a person gets another job.

It is not simply the loss of employment that keeps individuals in a prolonged state of depression or otherwise poor health, the report indicates, but rather the "cascade of negative events" that follows that loss.

"It is the crises that follow job loss that are more damaging than the loss itself," study author Dr. Richard H. Price of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, told Reuters Health.

Price and his colleagues investigated the link between job loss and depression, impaired functioning and poor health in a study of 756 job-seekers who were involuntarily unemployed for roughly 3 months or less and had no hopes of being recalled to their former position. The study participants were 36 years old, on average, and most had completed high school.

Overall, the financial strain that resulted from the participants' unemployment led to what Price called a "cascade of negative life events."

For example, if someone loses their job, they may have difficulty making a car payment, which can cause them to lose their car, thus hindering their ability to search for a job, the author explained. In addition, losing healthcare benefits due to unemployment will affect the person's ability to care for a family member with a life-long illness, all of which can create a "huge strain on relationships," Price said.

Such negative events seem to have caused the study participants to have higher symptoms of depression and a greater perception that they had lost personal control, including lowered self-esteem, study findings indicate.

Further, this depression and perceived loss of personal control remained evident in follow-ups conducted 6 months and 2 years later, when 60% and 71% of the study participants, respectively, had been re-employed and were working at least 20 hours a week, Price and his team report in the current issue of the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.

What's more, the study participants' perceived loss of personal control led to reports of poor health and poor emotional functioning in daily tasks, both of which also remained evident in subsequent follow-ups, the researchers note.

"Some effects reflected in disability and depression linger for some people," Price said. Also, the "sense of job security is eroded," which Price says is "another hidden cost of job loss."

Finally, the participants' depression appeared to affect their later chances of reemployment, study findings indicate.

"These people become 'discouraged workers,' not searching for a job, and the personal, family and societal costs are very high," Price said.

"Thus, chains of adversity are clearly complex and may contain spirals of disadvantage that reduce the life chances of vulnerable individuals still further," the researchers write.

Yet, much of these negative effects "can be prevented in many cases by helping people learn the skills of getting back into the labor market," Price said.

And to those who are currently exercising those skills, Price offers the following advice: "Help inoculate yourself against inevitable setbacks and turndown by planning your strategy beforehand for what you will do if this try doesn't work out. Always try to have a 'Plan B."'

The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health through a grant to the Michigan Prevention Research Center.

SOURCE: Journal of Occupational Health Psychology

Positive Reinforcement

I haven't been blogging due to being a little 'down' lately. I'll be back soon, I just don't want to bring negative vibes to the blog.
To sum it up, the job in the previous blogs didn't work out and my birthday is coming up this weekend. I'm working on myself so I can get back in my positive, fighter attitude.
Meditation, exercise and clean eating are on the grid.
Talk to you all soon.

The 1st Day of the Rest of My Life

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

Thomas A. Edison (1847 - 1931)

Well, I'm home now after a very full day. From the moment I woke up I knew this would be a great day. First thing at 7:00am R called me to tell me he'd take me to work for my first day. We got there a little early so we went to Panera to grab a few yummy caramel latte's.

From there I walked a bit nervously into the office. Let's face it, I haven't had a "real" job for a year. I'm a little terrified but as confident as I know how to be at this juncture. Everyone was amazing. I was greeted as if I were a long lost friend. Casey (my counterpart) showed me around and just as quickly the IT guys were setting up my iPhone and MacBook Pro for me to take home. (Argh, I'm NEVER going to convert to a "Mac Person") but it's still cool.

After all the electronics were set up I started to read and go through my desk and then my boss came in around 10:30am. I went to shake her hand but she countered me with a hug. A BIG ONE! After what I've gone through in my career I wondered if there was a weapon in one of those hands, but there wasn't. She was truly happy I was there. She then invited me to a lunch (a 2 hour one!). We dined and talked about life and career, it was truly fabulous. She's an incredible woman. (YES, I recall I said I'd never work for a woman again, but this is SO different).

The company itself is so cool, but even cooler is that I'm really a PART of it, not just an "assistant" to it. I'm encouraged to voice any ideas in concepts and marketing and to whatever else I can come up with. It's really a small family type of atmosphere.

The resort is nestled in the Colorado Red Rocks and I'll be traveling there frequently. I'm SO EXCITED! Look how gorgeous this place is!

I'll get into the company more in future posts, but the above is what I'll be working on. It's really exciting the more you learn.

R picked me up from the train and brought me home, I'm mentally exhausted but really looking forward to learning more. It feels GOOD to have a job again. I can already feel my self confidence rising. I'd lost even more of it than I'd realized.

xo

FINALLY!

My head is spinning, my stomach is turning, my vision is a bit blurry, my thoughts are all out of order and scattered. I feel high. I'm really overwhelmed. I'm so happy but terrified to be as happy as I want to be. You get a little gun shy after being out of work this long.

Today marks one year TO THE DAY from the day I was laid off. It makes for a very auspicious day for me to get the job offer I've been waiting for.

A boutique agency I've been with since I moved called me last Tuesday with a job they thought I might be right for. Honestly I'd forgotten about them since they've never called me for anything. I told them I was able to interview Wednesday (before Thanksgiving) and it worked out. I had a GREAT meeting and was asked to come back Monday night to meet with everyone else. The deal was sealed about 30 minutes ago and I start on Thursday. In my upcoming blogs I'll discuss the company more and what I'll be doing. I'll be EA/PA to the President/CEO of a sort of entertainment/hospitality/travel company. It's very exciting and the job could sort of turn into anything. It's a very entrepreneurial and creative atmosphere and from the moment I met with the first person there, I felt that this was the job I'd been looking for the past year.

I know that with a new job comes the return of some of the self confidence I've lost in the past 12 months. I could really use that right now.

My parents arrive on December 8th and will be here for a week. The company told me that I can work 9-1 or 2pm on the days they're here so I can see them, which I find incredibly generous.

I'm really excited to start on this new path in this new city with my new man.

And Another One

I know I should be blogging more, but I have started to feel at times that I don't have much to say. DC is going okay. I'm interviewing. I've actually had more interviews here in less than 2 months than I had all year in NYC. For that I'm grateful. I was just about to be offered a position last week when I lost it due to a personal referral getting the job. Oh well, that means that it wasn't meant to be. I was anxious to get a job, but wasn't super excited about the job anyway.

Then yesterday I was called by an agency I'd met with a few times, but had never contacted me about a position or to even check up. They had what sounded like a great position. After doing my homework on the company and executives, I started to get really interested and excited. The interview was this morning and it went great. In fact, so great that during the interview they asked me to come back on Monday to meet the rest of the people in the company. Now, of course, the company has to do their due diligence, and I am completely unwilling to get ahead of myself about any actual prospect of a PERMANENT and REAL ACTUAL job, BUTTTTTTTTTTT... (and sshhhhh, don't tell anyone) I'm REALLY excited about this position!

*The money is right
*The location is right
*The company is entrepreneurial and forward thinking
*It's a small office
*The perks are great and the people seem fantastic

But again, let me emphasize that I am not counting my eggs as of yet. :-)

The weekend of November 13-15 R and I went to Boston for Julie and John's wedding. It was sensational. We took the Amtrak and it was cool to have that time together. We ate at Summer Shack on Friday night where we had oysters, clams, a 2 lb. lobster, mussels and lobster and pumpkin bisque. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! From there we drove off to Tewksbury (ya, I'd never heard of it before either). Our hotel was great, until John called us over to his best man's room for some pre-wedding day cocktails and while walking back to our rooms realized the wedding couple was RIGHT NEXT DOOR to us! Those walls must be thick!

The wedding itself was beautiful and I was SO overjoyed to be able to share Julie's special day.

We took off to Boston the next day to spend the day wandering about before catching the Amtrak back at 3pm. I wish we'd had more time because Boston seems pretty cool.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and if you haven't already, vocalize what you're thankful for. Be it your family, friends, work, home or health. I've learned over the past year that it's not "things" that make you happy. There's so much more to life. I've also learned that no matter how bad I have it (and trust me, I don't have it good right now), I am better off than a lot of people. I have parents who are fortunate enough to help me out when I truly need it and great friends, even though they're mostly located in NYC.

Speaking OF, I did visit NYC for the first time last weekend since I moved. I just went for Friday night, but I was SO HAPPY to see Molly, Peri and Sheree. It was great to have a girl night out and I'm definitely going back soon so I can see ALL of my girls.

Much love.

Luck Be A Ladybug

I finally found enough things to write about so I thought I'd blog and then go back to sleep.

Julie and John came to visit last weekend (they're getting married in November in Boston and I've been stressssssssing out about how I'm going to be able to afford to go). We had the BEST time. We went out in Georgetown on Saturday night and ended up in some cougar-type bar, it was hilarious. We danced to '80s music and drank beer. I miss 'girl time'. After meeting up with Rico at a club, we got back to my place around 3am.

In the morning, we woke up, had some coffee and then took off to meet John and his friend for brunch and bloody marys at Old Ebbitt Grill. BEST. FOOD. EVER. Check out their menu, I DIE!!! I had the Fall Strata and we shared oysters and the crab & artichoke dip. The BEST I've ever had!

After brunch, we headed to the POV Roof Terrace at the W. The view is great, you can see all of the monuments. We then walked over to the White House, the Washington Monument, the WW2 memorial and the Lincoln. Then we hopped in a cab to Georgetown waterfront for cocktails and to enjoy the beautiful sunshine.


The rest of the week was pretty ordinary. R crushed 2 of his fingers at work, so he's in pain most of the time. :-(

I've been sick with an icky cold for a few days now, but I did manage to schedule a few meetings for Thursday and Monday (which look PROMISING).

Today I was in the kitchen. Don't ask me how, but I managed to cook dinner for R and I tonight. I baked Cornish game hen with EVOO, garlic and fresh rosemary, sweet potatoes and green beans. While cooking, I looked into the living room to find 20 or more LADYBUGS all over my front door and ceiling. I've never seen such a thing in my life! I don't know how they got in and didn't know how to get them out. A few landed on me, then I used a paper to shoo them out the front door.

As we all know, ladybugs mean good luck.

Nearly ALL cultures believe that a Ladybug is lucky.
Killing one is said to bring sadness and misfortune.

In some Asian cultures, it is believed that the Ladybug understands
human language, and has been blessed by God, Himself.

Folklore suggests if you catch a Ladybug in your home, count the number
of spots and that's how many dollars you'll soon find.

I thought this quite odd, but it also made me happy. Anyway, about an hour later I got a call from someone I've had a few interviews with. They want me to work from Friday - Friday for decent pay. Sort of a temp to perm kinda thing to see how we like each other. Either way, after adding it up, it 100% pays for me to go to Julie's wedding, PLUS an extra $150 or so!!

Looks like those ladybugs really work!

I'm looking forward to seeing Andreen this weekend. She just got back to the states from Shanghai and now she's heading down here.

Looking Forward

SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My BFF Julie and her fiance John are coming to DC on Saturday. He's coming to visit a friend of his and that means I get 2 full GIRL DAYS!! She's my first visitor since I've been here, and since I don't really have any girlfriends here, I just can't wait to see her.

Saturday we'll probably do a little walking around then some bar hopping in Georgetown for the night. Sunday after brunch (and a little hair of the dog I'm guessing) we'll visit the monuments.

We'll take TONS of pictures and I think this will do wonders for my mood.